Our museum displays

The position of Provost in Wick existed from circa 1660 through to local government re-organisation in 1975. Civic pride and the [pomp that goes with it is an important part of Wick's history and the Heritage Museum proudly displays some of the r ...

The John O Groat Journal, was founded in 1836 when a bustling busy town had a range of printing needs.The main Linotype machine and other ancillary equipment were donated and set up by original John O’Groat Journal staff, other artifacts includ ...

There existed many trades and skills associated with the fishing industry and Wick, by necessity, developed many. Machinery of all types and purposes were therefore used and Wick Heritage Museum houses a wonderful eclectic mix from simple tools ...

The Caithness Glass Company was established in Wick in 1960 and steadily grew to gain a world-wide reputation for excellence in glass blowing and glass product design.The prestigious BBC ‘Mastermind’ Trophy is possibly the most widely known o ...

Education for all in Scotland began in 1872, although there had been education for some in the country since the 1496 Education Act brought in compulsory education for the eldest sons of nobles. But it was the 1696 Education Act which was truly i ...

In 1860 Alexander Johnston produced his earliest known work. Over a hundred years later, he, his sons and grandson had taken around 100,000 photographs. The Grandson, also Alex Johnston retired in 1975 and generously donated the contents of the f ...

The Photographic Gallery provides a brief insight into the diverse array of Johnston photographs in the keeping of the Wick Society. The Johnston family were primarily portrait photographers, but over the hundred years the three generations amass ...

An Art Gallery in the Wick Heritage Museum was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother on 17th August 1989, and displays a number of paintings, many by local artists, of local places and people. Among them are several watercolour ...

This bedroom has a box bed typical of the type used on the old crofts and small holdings of the 19th and early 20th century. Relatively uniquely, this box bed has doors affording some privacy and welcome warmth. The only metal in the entire ...

This room is typical of the second decade of the 20th century. Notice the bed cover the stitching in the centre, depicting St Fergus, the Patron Saint of Wick.Here you will find an example of the quality furniture made by the Wick firm of Alexand ...

Wick and its people played a significant part in both World Wars. Caithness men volunteered in considerable numbers during World War I, many never returned. Along with a number of other airfields in the county, Wick played host to a significant n ...

The smiddy recreates the workshop of a traditional blacksmith whose skills ranged from shoeing horses to making cartwheels, inventing agricultural implements and using heat to bend iron and shape it to his will.

Here guests would be entertained in a more relaxed atmosphere and amidst the best crockery. Our Parlour hosts a magnificent grandfather clock,made in Wick c1830 in the workshop of John Sellar clock maker and silversmith in Wick. Alexander Bain, ...

Cooking for the family demanded an efficient cooking range and an appropriate range of cooking utensils. Our kitchen, (circa 1920), includes a cast iron range with its many pots, pans and kettles.

Weekly clothes wash was a major task. Our washroom contains two early washing machine, one marketed as "the housewife’s darling" designed to reduce the backbreaking labour. A classic mangle and examples of the old “smoothing irons a ...

Fashion was just as important in the past as it is now and here we get a glimpse at some of the finer things in life. Beautiful lace work, fine clothes and mantelpiece ornaments.

This light (on display both up and downstairs) comes from Noss Head, just north of the town. It was built in 1849 by Alan Stevenson and it operated there until 1987 when the lighthouse was automated. The whole lamp and lens carriage was rotate ...

While large quantities of herring were gutted and packed salted into barrels for export, there was also a market for kippers, the smoked variety of herring. Our kippering kiln, last used in 1949, had the capacity to smoke up to 8,000 fish. In th ...

Wick Radio, established in 1908 as a communications station for the Grand Fleet which was then based in Scapa Flow, Orkney.Legend suggests that Wick Radio was the first to pick up the SOS from the Titanic.Over the years it became the busiest Radi ...

The Fishing Hall contains many items that was associated with the herring fishing industry. At its height the harbour was a veritable hive of industry. Boats were crowded into the harbour, the herring gutters were working a breakneck speed to fil ...

At their height in the 1860s, Wick's 650 coopers made 125,000 barrels year, nearly all of which were used for exporting the cured herring. There were five standard sizes, but only three were usually made in the town. The largest was the 'who ...

Among the images in the Johnston Collection are many photographs of fishermen, taken at a time when Wick was still a centre for the herring fishing.  The traditional garment of the fisherman was the gansey, a sturdy, finely knit jumper made ...